A boy named Merlin
by The madness in me
Summary: Merlin gets hit by a sorcerers spell and is de-aged leaving the king and knights to care for him, a task made more difficult for everyone when he gets hurt. Good thing they all love their young friend.
1. Chapter 1

"Come on Merlin, perk up. We have a whole day to enjoy. No chores, no hunting. Its gona be great!"

Merlin tried his best to repress his smile at Gwaine's excited proclamation. He was still mad at them. Sort of. A little bit. Well not really. But they didn't need to know that. Better to let them stew a bit longer.

The knights surrounding the young manservant all shifted uneasily at their friends silence. They really were sorry.

They hadn't meant to ignore him for a whole week!

Things had just been so hectic with training and dealing with visiting nobles and other knightly duties and they all just assumed that at least one of the others had to be hanging out with him. When the week ended and they realised that no one had so much as said hello to him in the whole seven days they had been devastated.

Even Arthur had barely spoken to him between the ten thousand chores he had his servant doing on top of his work with Gaius.

Which is what brought them here.

To make up for their unintended neglect the knights and Arthur had arranged a few days out for the young man. A chance to spend some time exploring the forest with no worries like killing innocent animals for sport or tracking bandits or hunting sorcerers or any of the other reasons they usually ventured out into the forest which prevented Merlin from relaxing and enjoying himself.

"We can go west towards the river and make our way to the lake" Leon suggested. "Spend a few hours swimming and relaxing in the sun"

The smile was harder to keep in this time. It did sound like fun and Merlin knew it wasn't fair to keep his friends on edge like this when he had already forgiven them, but he wanted to make sure it never happened again. This last week had been so lonely and he had been truly hurt to be ignored by his friends for so long.

Although he now knew it was accidental at the time it had felt like they were pushing him away on purpose. For all his bravado it was sometimes hard for Merlin to overlook that he was the odd one out in this group. Not even counting all the secrets he was keeping about his magic he was still the servant among knights.

He knew that many of these men had been lower born just as he had, but looking at them in their chainmail and red cloaks, so grand a noble in comparison to his ratty brown clothes it was difficult not to feel like a lesser man.

As the week went on insecurities Merlin hadn't even realised he harboured worked their way to the surface and left him feeling lost, so sure that his friends had finally decided he wasn't worth their time anymore.

"Merlin we really are sorry" Percival pleaded. The young man could hear the guilt in the others voice and suddenly felt guilty himself. He was being unfair. These men were his friends. They had already apologised and had given him no reason to doubt their sincerity.

"I know. I'm sorry too" He smiled finally letting himself relax, his customary goofy grin settling into place "I'm done sulking now"

The whole group relaxed and perked up.

"It's about time" Arthur complained in an over-exaggerated way, wincing when Gwaine punched him in the arm in reprimand.

Merlin laughed as the two men began to bicker half-heartedly with each other as everyone else watched in amusement.

All as one the group followed Leon's lead towards the lake.

...

The sorcerer watched the group from the trees. They were obviously from Camelot with their customary red uniforms so distinctive of the kingdoms soldiers.

He could sense magic from the group. Emrys.

Geoffrey had been watching the young sorcerer for some time now. Seen the bond between him and the knights of Camelot. It was an odd situation to be sure. The greatest of all warlocks living in the kingdom that had made magic itself a capital crime. But Camelot was changing.

The young King was a better man by far than his father had ever been. More merciful, willing to understand, not deluded by his own pain and hatred.

Anyone who was paying attention could see that was Emrys's influence. Geoffrey was paying attention.

Many sorcerers had plans to destroy Camelot. Savage attacks in the name of justice and revenge. Geoffrey just wanted peace. Emrys would bring peace, to everyone. It was his destiny, but to do that his bond with the King and his knights had to be strong.

Geoffrey decided a helping hand would not go amiss.

...

Arthur dived for his sword as a ball of light whizzed past his head. It was so fast he barely saw it coming. Around him he saw his knights doing the same, some already armed and on their feet others still struggling their way out of the water and onto the grassy verge where their things had been discarded earlier.

Merlin jumped up from where he was lounging on the grass, eyes scanning the trees desperately looking for the source of the attack. If it even was an attack. So far the balls of light didn't seem to be doing anything. Just darting between them and causing to knights to scatter as they ducked and dived out of the way.

"Look out!" Lancelot's cry echoed through the clearing and Arthur ducked instinctively as one of the orbs swooped towards his head before suddenly veering up and fading into nothing. A sudden splash alerted him that he was not the one the warning was meant for.

The attack was over as quickly as it had started. The orbs gone without a trace.

The blonde King turned towards the water, eyes franticly scanning all of his friends, checking to see that they were all ok. The knights were running, all of them converging on the same place, all of them sharing matching looks of horror and fear.

Arthur felt the bottom of his stomach drop as his eyes landed on the still rippling patch of water.

Merlin!

...

Merlin's eyes stung as they opened to the sight of green murky water, he took a sudden surprised breath inwards only to feel his lungs burn as they filled with liquid. His head began to swim which was more than his body was managing right now. Arms and legs flailed desperately, tangling uselessly in a mass of fabric. He was sinking.

How did he get here? What was happening?

In his desperate struggle one thought made it through.

He was going to die.

Then there were hands on his arms, on his legs, on his shoulders. Pulling him up. He felt his head break the surface.

There was light. Sunlight.

He coughed violently. All around him frantic voices were blurring together as multiple people shouted to each other sounding panicked and confused. He didn't care. He felt himself being carried, felt the ground beneath his body as he was set down again. Felt grass under him.

He breathed deeply, letting the air calm him until sense returned and he was able to assess the surroundings clearly.

"Merlin?"

His name. They knew his name. He latched onto that, following the voice to its source to find a blonde man staring down at him looking both concerned and terribly, terribly confused.

Around the man others gathered. They all shared the same expression. The same confusion.

He gulped in terror, hoping they weren't angry with him.

"Merlin is...is that you?" The blonde man asked slowly.

He frowned. Who were these people? Did they know him? He wasn't sure. They didn't seem to be sure either.

"Y...yes?" He stuttered nervously still breathless from almost drowning and unsure what was going on.

...

The knights stared down at the form laying prone on the grass. The dark hair. Pale face. The striking blue eyes that gazed up at them in dazed terror.

It was Merlin.

They could tell. Their friend was too distinct to mistake for anyone else.

There was just one problem.

He was a child.

* * *

Regarding the name chosen for the sorcerer in this. (According to a quick Google search) Geoffrey of Monmouth was the name of a cleric who was among one of the first people to popularise the tales of King Arthur and Merlin.

Written on request. Second chapter to follow soon. Hope you all enjoyed. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin shivered as he lay sopping wet on the ground staring up at the men crowding around him. They were all wet too he noted. Most of them half dressed. Had they been swimming?

Who were they?

"Sire.." one of the men spoke suddenly, addressing the blonde man directly in front of Merlin. "..the sorcerer could return at any moment. We should move somewhere else as soon as possible"

The blonde nodded, his face shifting to look angry as he began barking orders to the other man, clearly in charge. "Sir Elyan, Sir Gwaine, gather the supplies, everyone else get dressed. We'll take the east route back to Camelot. Merlin..." The blondes voice softened as he turned back to the boy "...can you walk?"

Merlin lay frozen in horror. _Sire? Sir Elyan? Sir Gwaine?_

Blue eyes shifted to watch the men as they began pulling on clothing that had been spread across the shore. Chainmail, red cloaks, swords.

They were knights!

Knights... and this man...this man who was hovering over him with his hand outstretched for Merlin to take, eyes gentle and kind looking...they had called him Sire...he was...he was a King!

Merlin froze in terror. They had mentioned a sorcerer. What had happened? Had he used magic? Did they know it was him? They didn't seem to be angry with him. Maybe they didn't know. Maybe it wasn't him?

But how did they know his name?

Where was he?

Where was his mother?

What was going on?

...

Arthur watched in pity as the young Merlin curled himself in a ball afraid. Clearly he had no idea who they were.

"Hey...hey now it's ok." He tried to sooth.

"Were am I?"

"You're in a forest just west of the kingdom of Camelot. My kingdom. You don't remember right now but you live there."

Confused blue eyes peered up at the prince. "I live in Ealdor" The boy argued weakly, as though he was sure he was right but wasn't sure he was allowed to argue.

Arthur smiled. "You did, but then you moved to Camelot. Something made you forget but it's ok. We are your friends and we are going to ok after you until you remember ok?" He decided not to mention the sorcerer, the child was frightened enough without the threat of magic to worry about too. Even still he could tell the boy was terrified.

Arthur frowned, it wouldn't be good if this younger Merlin tried to run away from them whilst he was in this state. Who knows what would happen? He had to find a way to get the child's trust.

"I'll make you a deal ok? In Camelot we have a physician named Gaius, he's very nice, you'll like him and I believe he can help you remember the things you've forgotten. If you agree to come with us to Camelot to see him, then I promise if he can't help, I will take you home to your mother in Ealdor"

The boy stared up at the man, trying to determine if he was telling the truth.

He considered his options. So far the knights seemed friendly, or at least not threatening. He had no idea where he was and probably couldn't find his way home alone. He didn't want to be alone in the forest at night.

Slowly the boy nodded. The king relaxed and smiled again.

Merlin peered around him. Having finished gathering their things several of the knights were edging closer to look at the child.

One with long hair crouched down beside him. "Hey Merlin" He smiled "Remember me? In Gwaine you and me are best mates we are" His smile was wide and intense. Merlin didn't like it. He stared at the man for a moment then curled back into a ball, not noticing when the smile dropped and the knight called Gwaine deflated in disappointment and moved back away.

"Can you walk?" Arthur asked again. He got no response "Percy" He called to the man who was just pulling his cloak back on "Maybe you could carry him?"

"No!" Merlin shouted in alarm before the knight could respond.

With renewed energy the boy stood up seeming far more alert than before "I...uh...I can walk" he insisted.

Percival frowned slightly trying not to feel hurt and went back to securing his cloak, Merlin was a kid and didn't know who they were at the moment, the knight told himself, plus he was alone and confused in a strange pace, it was perfectly understandable he wouldn't completely trust them right now. It still stung though.

The clothing Merlin had been wearing now hung loose and useless on his small frame. After tripping over with his first step the child decided to abandon the trousers and instead wrap a rope around his waist to secure the top which now hung down to his knees. Shoes that were hopelessly too big were kicked off.

Arthur gathered the discarded clothing and stuffed it into a bag just in case Merlin turned back before they made it back to Camelot. The last thing he needed was a half naked manservant running around the forest.

"Let's go" He ordered.

As the party began to move Merlin quickly positioned himself towards the back and out of the sight of the King and his knights. For the first half hour several of the group attempted to talk to the boy before abandoning the effort when their young (now even younger) friend shied away from them in a way their Merlin never had.

The difference between this child and the young man they all knew was startling. Where their Merlin was outgoing and full of a confidence well beyond typical for a person of his low status, this Merlin was quiet and shy seemingly afraid of every one of them. Even just looking at him was enough to upset the child.

Eventually they all learned to keep their eyes forwards, content to let the young Merlin trail behind them, relying on sound to reassure them he was still following.

With his timid and fearful behaviour no one bothered to turn and look when the sound of gentle sobbing started behind them.

It was something they would all soon regret.

...

The group walked another hour before they finally stopped to make camp.

Leon saw it first.

"Merlin! When did that happen? Oh God are you ok?" He knew the answer before the boy said anything.

Not that Merlin was going to say anything, the volume of the knights shout scared him so much the child was ready to run away, and would have if it wasn't for the jagged twig currently protruding from his foot.

"Heck Merlin! Why didn't you say something!?" Lancelot demanded in horror.

Merlin quickly found himself being grabbed by both arms and manoeuvred into a position that would allow the knights to assess the damage. Percival lifted the child into his arms and held on tight, even as he felt the small frame try to struggle weakly. Elyan took hold of the injured foot and raised it up so it could be seen more easily.

The King was already shouting orders for someone to fetch medical supplies from the bags whilst the other knights all gathered around looking upset.

"Merlin how long has it been like that?" Gwaine asked softly.

Merlin shifted nervously in Percival's grasp, afraid that he was in trouble. "Since...since we passed the river" He tried to answer as honestly as he could.

They all gasped in distress "That was over an hour ago." Percival realised "You've been walking on that foot for an hour? Why didn't you tell us?"

The boy felt hot tears running down his face. He didn't want them to be angry with him.

He wanted to go home to his mother where he was safe.

"I...I didn't want to bother you" He admitted quietly feeling a flush of shame. Why would they care about a stupid peasant boy anyway?

"Don't be stupid Merlin you need to tell us if you're hurt!" Merlin cringed as the King shouted angrily then watched as the long haired knight punched the Kings arm looking annoyed and the two began to bicker.

"Sit him down" Lancelot instructed.

Swiftly Merlin was being lowered to the ground whilst still firmly encased in the largest knights arms and shifted to sit on the man's lap. In front of them Sir Elyan now knelt, gentle hands still holding onto Merlin's foot, having lowered himself down with them to keep the injury from worsening.

Around the clearing a few of the group were setting up camp whilst others prepared medical supplies. Lancelot seemed to have taken charge of the group and was now calling for Leon to build a fire and for Gwaine to collect water to boil and clean some bandages in.

Merlin shuddered as his foot throbbed in pain.

They were going to pull the twig out.

He knew they had to, but he also knew It was going to really, really hurt.

What if they were rough? the child wondered. They were noblemen and knights and royals, he had already slowed them down enough today. Even as they were walking Merlin had noticed that they slowed their pace to wait for him; he couldn't imagine why. What if they were tired of waiting now? What if they just yanked it out?

Once again Merlin wished he was home.

Twisting around the frightened boy took a chance and buried his face in the cloak of the knight who was holding him still, trying to block out the world around him. A part of him wondered if he should try to use magic to get away but he knew it was useless. He wouldn't get far and there were too many of them to fight. Besides, they didn't seem to know he had magic. If he revealed himself now they might burn him like in the stories the older boys in town told him about captured sorcerers. The thought made him cry harder.

For a moment the feel of gentle fingers running through his hair calmed the boy until a burning jolt of pain pushed away everything else.

 _No no no no no no no! Please don't!_

Elyan tightened his grip to keep the foot still and Lancelot pulled his fingers back feeling guilty. He had tried to be gentle, perhaps he should have warned Merlin before touching it?

"Alright, I'm going to try to clean the wound now, just hold still ok Merlin?" The boy whimpered in response but did as he was told. Lancelot gently cupped the foot once more, keeping as far from the wound itself as possible to avoid hurting the boy as he began to slowly dab at the edge of the cut with the sterilised cloth Gwaine handed him, washing away the dirt and grime bit by bit.

Ten minutes and three cloths later he could finally see where the twig was protruding out of the foot, it was deep.

"Alright Merlin" He winced in sympathy "I'm going to pull it out now ok?"

The renewed sobbing he could hear coming from inside Percy's cloak told the knight that he had been heard. Carefully he took hold of the twig with one hand and the foot with the other.

He pulled. Merlin's cries echoed around the camp and the knights all moved closer instinctively, each wishing they could do something more to help.

Slowly but surely it slid, further, further...

It was out.

Percival had begun to rock back a fourth whispering words of comfort to the poor child. "It's ok" he soothed "It's over now"

 _Is it?_ Lancelot wondered. He looked down at the hole where the twig had been embedded, using a fourth rag to wash away any lingering bits of mud from inside the wound, cleaning it as best as he could.

Just as he saw the young frame begin to sag in relief the regretful knight reached an unfortunate conclusion.

The next words were said with a heavy heart.

"I'm so sorry Merlin...but this is going to need stitches"

* * *

I've decided to split this story down more than originally intended. Chapter three up soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Percival held on tight as the boy renewed his struggles with a vengeance, fighting to get away. Kicking out with the only foot he currently had use of.

"Hey, hey it's ok" the man soothed. "You're gona be ok"

"How far are we from Camelot?" Arthur asked. The question not directed at anyone in particular. He knew already. Knew that it was at least a day's walk without horses.

"We can't leave it that long" Lancelot stated solemnly. "We will have to do it here"

"What?" Gwaine cried out in horror, already feeling immensely guilty that they had let the boy get into this state. He was currently trying to calm the frightened child by stroking a hand through his hair softly. "Wouldn't it be better to try to get him back to Gaius?"

Lancelot focused on the wound carefully. Weighing the two options. Could they get him back quick enough in this state? Gentle fingers brushed over the wound and brown eyes watched as a torrent of blood gushed out, even with bandages Lancelot knew it was bleeding too much. "No. It needs to be done now"

Gwaine continued to pet the boys head as Percival rocked him gently, they could both feel the child's sobbing.

"Get me the needle" Lancelot instructed.

Merlin screeched. _Needle? They were going to sew him!_ "Please don't" He cried pulling his face away from Percival's shoulder where it had been tucked. "I can walk on it. I can. I won't slow you down I swear"

"Merlin we don't care about that" Leon assured him trying to make the boy understand.

"Yeah" Gwaine agreed "This cut is really bad kid, and we know what we're doing seems scary but it's because we are worried about you. We're afraid you might get an infection and get sick. We just want you to be ok, but you need to let us alright? You need to let use help you?"

"Why?" The child wailed.

"because you're hurt and we want you to get better"

"No" the boy clarified "I mean why do you care?" He had stopped crying now. His voice had gone soft and fearful. "I'm just a peasant boy. What does it matter to you if I'm hurt?"

The group looked sad.

"Because you're our friend" Arthur told him.

"No I'm not. You're knights and...and a King. I'm just me. Just Merlin. I'm no one"

"You are not no-one" Arthur said forcefully. "You are our friend. My friend. You don't remember right now but this morning you were an adult" He carried on even as he saw the boy frown in confusion. "We were out in the forest when a sorcerer attacked us. You were hit with a spell that made you young again but you are still our Merlin. You remember I told you about living in Camelot? How you forgot? You moved there as a grown up, you have been living there a few years now, as my servant"

Merlin blushed again deciding to believe the story even if it sounded crazy "So I'm not just a peasant? I'm just a servant instead"

"No Merlin. Not just. In fact you're not a very good servant at all. Pretty useless one in fact"

The boy frowned and Gwaine smacked Arthur in the arm again. The king slapped the knight away and carried on.

"What I mean is, I don't keep you around as a servant, I keep you around because you're my friend. Because I need you as a friend. You have helped me through so much, been my confidant and my adviser when there was no-one else I could rely on. When I couldn't even trust my own judgement I always trusted yours. Now I need you to trust me this time. Trust me to do what's best for you even if it seems scary. Can you do that?"

Merlin's eyes welled up. He was still terrified but he nodded anyway, the earnest look in the kings eyes telling him somehow that he really was safe. Deep inside Merlin felt his magic surge, filling him with a sense of calm. It seemed to want him to trust this man. This king. Seemed to remember something he didn't.

"Ok"

With a little manoeuvring Merlin was shifted to give Lancelot proper access to his foot again.

They prepared the equipment as best as they were able although their medical knowledge was nowhere near as good as Gauis or even Merlin himself.

More than one of the knights vowed that when this was over they would make an effort to learn more about how to patch up wounds. They had always relied on Merlin. Always trusted he would be there to fix them. None of them had ever considered what they would do if Merlin was the one who needed patching up. Who needed their help.

Now he did and they all felt woefully out of their depth.

They knew enough to sterilise the needle and thread at least. Blanching it in the now boiling pot of water above the fire.

Merlin held tightly onto Arthur's hand which was grasped securely in his.

"Ok" Lancelot told him gently "It should only take about three stitches. It will be over in no time. I swear"

The first press of the needle through skin caused the child to let out an ear-splitting scream. Arthur moved his hand to cover the boys mouth regretfully, mindful that too much noise would attract attention, the last thing they needed now was a group of bandits to show up and attack.

Merlin clamped his teeth down into the kings hand and Arthur winced at the pain but didn't pull away.

The whole thing lasted six minutes.

Lancelot tied off the thread, coated the wound in honey to prevent infection and carefully wrapped the injured foot in clean bandages securing them as tightly as he safely could.

Once finally released Merlin let go of Arthur's hand and curled up in a ball on Percy's lap.

 _It's over. It's over._

Around him the knights started to make up the camp, feeding the fire and settling in for the night. They would continue back to Camelot in the morning.

By the time they were finished the young Merlin was fast asleep.

...

Slowly creeping rays of sunlight and the smell of dew woke the young warlock from his sleep the next morning. Upon inspection he found that he was wrapped not only in a standard bedroll but also two separate red cloaks. He was still with the knights who themselves were sleeping scattered about the clearing.

A wince of pain drew the child's attention to his injured foot. He sat up quietly in his camp-bed and began to gently tug at the bandages to look underneath.

"Merlin" a stern but quiet voice said in the same voice his mother often used when he was caught doing something he shouldn't. "Leave it alone"

Blue eyes turned to see the King sitting upright at the base of a tree, keeping watch over the group. "Lancelot will change them when he wakes." Merlin let go of his foot "Good" the King nodded "Now go back to sleep"

Merlin burrowed back down into his coverings and closed his eyes.

The next time he woke the knights were all awake and dressed and the camp was packed and ready to go. A bowl of food was placed in front of the child and he sat up to eat, the food mostly distracting him as Lancelot changed and cleaned his wound.

Everyone was relieved when the friendly knight declared that it appeared to be healing nicely. Once fed and dressed they set off towards Camelot once more, this time with Merlin being carried on Gwaines back.

As the day progressed each of the knights took their turns carrying their young friend, even Arthur carried him for two whole hours.

As they got closer to Camelot Merlin found himself believing the groups story about him being an adult more and more, even finding the courage to ask what the other him was like. The last few hours of the journey were filled with tales of Merlin and their favourite memories of the young servant and the impact he had had on each of their lives.

It felt good to vocalise it. To admit out loud how important their young friend was to the group.

Arthur moved away from Gwaine after his arm began to bruise from all the punches the knight was giving it whenever he confessed to an occasion he had taken advantage of his servants loyalty. All the times he had used the boy as a buffer against his father, letting him spend a night in the dungeons or a day in the stocks because of Arthurs mistakes. He had never realised before how often that had happened, how often he had let it happen.

He swore that once Merlin was back to normal he would do better by him, starting with a few days off every other week. The boy really did do too much.

The sun was beginning to set when the Castles of Camelot finally came into sight.

Gwen met them at the gates sweeping the young Merlin up in a hug as soon as they told her what had happened and leading them all straight to Gaius. Merlin instantly liked the pretty woman and having finally gotten used to a group of knights and a King calling him their friend was only mildly panicked to learn she was the Queen.

Thankfully he had heard a number of stories about Gwen by then and knew that she was one of the first friends he made here. The Queens kind words and gentle reassurances were enough to make him feel completely safe in her company.

Gaius was even more surprised to see the young Merlin than Gwen had been but he still treated the boy with a great deal of affection. Once again a surge of magic inside the young warlock let him know he was safe, reassuring him that it knew these people even if he didn't at the moment.

As Merlin had been told he would, Gaius checked his foot and reapplied his bandages with a fresh set and a special ointment to promote healing and reduce pain. The effects were instant and Merlin breathed a sigh of relief as the hurt he had been ignoring all day ebbed away.

The physician commended Lancelot on how well he had done with the stitches and Merlin was relieved to learn he wouldn't need any more. Although Gaius tried to usher them out, the whole group wound up staying in the tower for the remainder of the evening laughing and joking with the boy and enjoying his company. Gaius had already told them that aging spells were difficult to maintain and that the boy would probably turn back soon; as much as they were looking forward to having their Merlin back they had all grown to adore this version of him and wanted to enjoy every moment with him until he was gone again.

At some point in the evening a serving girl brought several plates of food up for the group and they all ate their fill enjoying the shared meal. It felt like family.

The moon was high in the sky before Merlin's eyes began to droop and Arthur carefully carried him up to bed and tucked him in for the night, the rest of the knights finally retreating to their own rooms to sleep. Gwen was the last to leave, placing a motherly kiss on the child's forehead before she stepped out, thanking Gaius for his help looking after him.

"Don't thank me" He smiled fondly "The knight's and Arthur were the ones who patched him up"

Gwen smiled. "It's about time they took care of him for once. I'm gonna miss him being like this"

"Me too" He said.

...

The next morning the knights arrived at training and found the familiar face of their fully grown friend smiling at them. It was an exceptionally welcome sight.

"Great to see you again buddy" Gwaine grinned.

The young servant grinned back, shifting the crutches Gaius had given him to one side so he could return the hugs his friends wrapped him in.

Arthur smirked, falling into the familiar pattern of sarcasm that dominated his friendship with the young man, "You'll do anything to get out of your chores wont you Merlin?"

Merlin pulled an astonished face "You mean you're actually giving me time off?"

"Just this once" Arthur told him, already knowing it was a lie, he would be giving the man plenty of days off.

Merlin laughed "You're too kind Sire"

"True. You really don't appreciate me Merlin" Arthur smiled, his voice gentle.

Merlin had know him long enough to recognise it as a thank you.

...

In a forest not far from there a sorcerer named Geoffrey smiled to himself.


End file.
